Portable steps



Oct. 6, 1959 F. B. LEwls 2,907,402

PORTABLE STEPS Filed Oct. 24, 1956 ///////////l l, Hl

` IN V EN TOR. 32 iXm/c/s fw/s United States Patent O l v2,901,402 j 'PORTABLE STEPS Francis B.' Lewis, omini, Nebr., assigner to Robert B.

Borucki, doing business as Research Engineering'Associates, Evanston, lll.

Applicants october 24, 1956, serial No. 6511.996 f1 claim. (ci. isz-106) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in portable steps `for use in connection with railroad cars which are used for living quarters for crews working on track and right-of-way, either laying new track or engaged in maintenance work. Such cars are grouped into camps, consisting of kitchen, dining, sleeping, recreation, tool .and office cars. Each car has a side entrance and requires a semi-permanent stairway attached in such manner that it will provide safe and reliable means for the crew to enter and leave these cars with absolute safety.

It is an object of this invention to provide such a step, the safety being centered on the step tread which is provided with perforations and is self-clearing and on the raised peripheral edge of the perforations for antiskid properties, as well as on the handrails on the side of the step providing means of support especially in inclement weather, and the positive means of securely mounting the step with respect to the railroadv car when 1n use.

Another object is the provision of a portable step providing the above features while being light in Weight and of such strength and durability as to withstand the use and abuse such steps are subjected to.

Another object of my invention is to provide in a device of this character a swivel type hoo-k for readily attaching the portable step to the vertical hand holds on the side of the railroad car.

Yet another object of my invention is the provision in a device of this character of a hand rail that may be readily removed from the portable step for storage when not in use.

Another and equally important object of my invention is the provision in a device of this character of a non-skid self-clearing step tread.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my invention as it is associated with a door of a railroad outfit car;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the swivel hook means for attaching my portable step to the hand holds of a railroad car;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a swivel chain connection for attaching my portable step to a railroad outfit car;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view of my swivel hook connection; and

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1, of my anti-skid and self-clearing step tread.

The portable step of my invention is an all-metal construction and comprises side frame stringers 10. These stringers are substantially U-shaped in cross section tion 17.

2,907,402 Patented Oct. 6, 1959 ICE as viewed in Figs. l and 2 and have cut-outs 11 formed in their medial portion. By providing the stringers 10 with cut-outs 11, the portable step is made considerably lighter without sacrificing any appreciable structural strength.

The upper laterally extending ang'e 12 of the Stringer 10 adjacent either end thereof has formed therein apertures 13. Welded `to the medial portion of the striuger 10 between the flange 12Y and the other laterally extending ange 14 and in alignment with the aperture 13, is a socket 15. This socket 15 isv placed diagonally across the longitudinal length of the Stringer 10 as viewed in Fig. 1, to a degree in direct proportion to the angle between the Stringer 10 and the side Wall 16 of the railroad outfit car and the surface on which the step rests.

' Such placement of the socket 15 will locate the same in a substantially vertical plane when the stringers 10 of the portable step are placed in operative relation to the side wall 16 of the car.

Each Stringer 10 is provided withl a curved heel sec- The heel section 17 is preferably of the same width as the anges 12 and 14 and is attached to the step so as to appear to be a continuation of the flange 12, being bent back upon itself and in confronting relation with the flange 14 (see Fig. l).

The opposite ends of the stringers 10 have the ends of the anges 12 and 14 joined by a bracket 18. This bracket 18 provides a vertically disposed portion 19 and a horizontal offset portion 20.

To removably attach my portable step to the side wall 16 of a railroad car, I have provided a pair of hook elements 21. vThese hook elements 21 have a flat rectangular metal member 22 welded adjacent the end of the straight portion or leg of the hook element 21 as viewed in Fig. 4. This flat metal member 22 is then fastened to the vertically disposed portion 19 of the top bracket 18 by means of a nut and bolt connector 23.

This hook element 21 is pivotable about its connection 23 to the stringer 10.

If it is desired, rather than employing the hook elements 21 for connecting the portable stepto the car, I provide a chain assembly 2,4 to be employed instead of the hook elements 21. In using the chain assembly 24, I provide an eye bolt 25 connected by a nut and bolt 25 to the oifset 20 of the bracket 18, as Viewed in Fig. 3. The chain may be fastened to the eye bolt 25 by the use 0f a swivel snap 26.

A one-piece detachable hand rail 27 is so constructed that the legs 28 thereof may be inserted through the apertures 13 formed in the flange 12 and journaled through the sockets 15 so that the end of the rail 27 rests on the inner side of the bottom flange 14 as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2. By such construction and arrangement of parts, the hand rail 27 may be readily detached from the portable step.

Fig. 5 discloses an improved step tread associated with my portable step. The tread 29 has a series of apertures 30 formed therein by punching out the metal of the tread. In so forming the apertures 30, a non-skid tongue `31 is formed about the peripheral edge of the apertures 30. The leading edge 32 as well as the trailing edge 33 of the tread 29 are bent backat a substantial angle, with the leading edge 32 bent at a slightly greater angle as viewed in Fig. 5. By reason of such greater angle to the leading edge 32, the treads 29 of the portable step are self-clearing and, as such, aid considerably in preventing accidents. The two edges 32 and 33 at the center line of the tread 29 are joined by a gusset 34. The gusset 34 is of such thickness as to add to the weight supporting ystrength of the tread 29 and at the same time will not prevent the tread 29 from having a slight vertical displacement under the weight load. Such a displacement is desirable, as -it prevents ice, mud, or the like from forming a slick continuous covering on such tread Z9.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention int@ effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing tfrom the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details A0f` construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invent-ion, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

A collapsible portable step for railroad outtit oars or the like comprising vertically inclined spaced apart U- shaped stringers with said stringers having their arms extending in opposite outward directions with respect to their medial portion, one end of the arms of cach of said stringere provided with ground engaging heel elements, the opposite ends of the arms of each of said stringers being connected by a stepped bracket, a plate pivotally carried by a portion of said stepped bracket in a spaced parallel relation to the side wall of the car, a hook carried by said plate for releasably attaching said step to the hand holds of the car and pivotable out of attaching position about a horizontal axis through an arc extending in a spaced parallel plane with respect to the side wall of theV car', a'hand rail for said step, sockets carried References Cited in .therle of patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 297,822 Manahan Apr. 29, 1884 367,974 Hanson Aug. 9, 1887 1,836,453 De Veau et al. Dec. 15, 1931 2,105,565 Schantz Jan. 18, 1938 2,129,999 Ewing' Sept. 13, 1938 2,388,892 Wilson- Nov. 13, 1945 2,510,515 Nyberg June 6, 1950 2,551,345 Scott May 1, 1951 FQRElGN PATENTS 718,337 Great Britain Nov. 10, 1954 wane 

